The narrowest house in the world museum

1.42 meters of pure Mexican genius 🏠📏

Uruapan has parks, factories, temples... and it also has a Guinness Record. In the traditional San Juan Bautista neighborhood you will find this peculiar construction that defies logic and claustrophobia. If you think your apartment is small, wait until you see this.

History: From Surplus to Record 📜

The history of this house is an example of perseverance.

• The Origin: In 1985, Don Jorge Melgoza (a well-known carnitas seller) bought a piece of leftover land with the intention of using it as a winery. However, he changed his mind and decided to build a complete home.

• The Record: Measuring only 1.42 meters wide by 10.20 meters long, this home obtained the Guinness Record in 1999 as the narrowest house in the world.

• Real Life: The most surprising thing is not its size, but that it was functionally inhabited by the Melgoza family until 2013.

How does a house fit in there? 🪜

The solution was to grow upwards. The house is distributed in 4 levels perfectly used:

1. Ground floor: Kitchen (with miniature stove), laundry room and a single bed.
2. First Floor: A bedroom with a balcony facing the street and the bathroom.
3. Second Floor: Another bedroom, notable for its good lighting.
4. Third Floor: A terrace to get some fresh air.

Today, the property functions as a museum open to the public, where you can enter and feel firsthand the dimensions of living in “vertical mode.”

🌟 Our Recommendation

A curious and quick visit.

1. The Experience: Entering is quite an adventure. If you are very tall or suffer from claustrophobia, think twice, but if not, it is very fun to see how they solved everyday problems (like stairs or arranging furniture) in such a small space.
2. The Photo: The colorful facade is unmistakable. Take a photo opening your arms in front of the door; You are probably taller than the house is wide.
3. The Neighborhood: Take advantage of the fact that you are in the Barrio de San Juan Bautista (one of the 9 founding neighborhoods) to walk through its surrounding streets and see the local chapel.